Comedian Rich Hall, Woman’s Hour host Jenni Murray and Countdown word whizz Susie Dent are among other the guests at the Wantage (not just) Betjeman Festival.
This year’s festivities were officially launched on Monday night when Ms Ramirez gave a talk at the town’s Beacon civic hall, watched live online by 1,754 fans.
The BBC presenter and Oxford University art historian, who lives in Woodstock, was appearing for a second year in a row.
In the afternoon, Julia Golding met her fans at Stanford in the Vale primary school and signed copies of her books.
The author of Mel Foster and the Demon Butler was appearing as part of the literary festival’s school’s programme.
This year’s line-up of more than 30 talks, gigs, stand-up comedy shows and children’s entertainment begins properly this weekend.
On Saturday afternoon, Winnie the Witch creator Korky Paul, who lives in North Oxford, will tell the story of his calamitous creation at the Beacon.
Sunday features six separate events around the town starting with a talk by adventurer Sarah Outen.
Virginia-born Rich Hall will be bringing his critically-acclaimed Hoedown show to the Beacon on Friday, October 27.
The comedian and musician, famous for TV appearances on QI and Have I Got News For You, promises a ‘precision dismantling’ of the tenuous relationship between the country of his birth and his adopted UK.
Susie Dent will be chatting the following day about her latest book ‘Dent’s Modern Tribes’, exploring how groups such as sports fans, members of professional organisations and hobbyists develop their own private linguistic codes.
Radio 4 presenter Jenni Murray will headline the festival talking about her latest book, ‘A History of Britain in 21 Women’ at The Beacon on Saturday, October 28.
Spokeswoman Victoria Luker said: “The festival has scientists, poets and more novelists than there is space to mention including Lucy Atkins, Kate Hamer, Dinah Jefferies.
“Make sure you don’t miss either the poetry or the comedy writing workshops, nor the Blackweir Brass concert in the parish church.”
Ticket prices range from £3 for Korky Paul to £17 for Rich Hall and Jenni Murray.
The literary festival was first founded by a group of library lovers in 2011 to celebrate former Wantage resident Sir John Betjeman and his legacy in the town.
First speakers included former Telegraph journalist Sir Max Hastings and Stanford-in-the-Vale-born poet Pam Ayres.
This year’s festival pays a small tribute to the founding ethos in the form of two ‘Betjeman Town Walks’ led by local author and historian Bill Fuller.
See this year’s full listings at wantagebetjeman.com
